Learn Is About Process
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
Praise and gratitude to Allah who has granted us the blessing of Islam and faith, enabling us to write something that may be important for ourselves and perhaps for others. Let us not forget to send blessings upon the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, who was truly a leader of the people, transforming society from the ignorance of the past to the present.
In this writing, I would like to discuss that learning certainly involves a process, and this process takes time. If it requires time, it is not instant, so accept the process. Gaining knowledge is also part of Allah’s will. That is why when we learn, we should pray first so that Allah grants us knowledge that we can understand and benefit from in our lives.
The most important thing in learning is to try and move forward, because if we do not try or move, all we will have are mere imaginations that never materialize. Learning requires energy, so before you begin, make sure you provide enough fuel for your body, because without energy, all you will feel is laziness, fatigue, and inability to focus.
Asking questions is essential to spark curiosity about a subject. So, someone who asks many questions and searches for answers is someone who is doing well in their learning. But what happens if we have a question in our minds and we are too lazy to search for the answer? It remains just an imagination.
After having a curiosity about a question, we may search and search, but sometimes we do not find the answer. Instead, we become more confused and give up looking for the answer, leaving the question behind. This might be because in our minds, we think we are satisfied or we don’t want to tire ourselves anymore. To overcome this, consistency in learning or seeking knowledge is needed. If you are tired, rest, but do not think about giving up, because I believe that in the learning process, we are not just seeking knowledge once, but we gain much more from the journey itself.
When we learn, it usually starts with big things to trigger our curiosity. I believe this is normal, and it does encourage us to learn. For example, when I was confused about how the internet works, I studied it directly. Then I was confused about the terms used on the internet like LAN, CLOUD, etc. I tried to force myself to understand how it works, but I couldn’t. So I studied each part one by one until I understood how the internet works. Later, during my learning process, I came across a topic called SOAR, so I studied that too.
Sometimes, we can learn something instantly, but later that knowledge might disappear or become useless. When we set our intention to learn, try to be consistent with that intention. Also, try changing your environment temporarily or your conversations. For example, if you want to learn about religion, gather with religious people. If you want to learn IT, gather with people in IT. Remember, humans are social beings, and knowledge sharing through discussion is important to understand different perspectives on the knowledge we are studying.
Tips:
- Start learning right after waking up.
- Learn at 3:30 AM after performing the tahajjud prayer.
- Learn with good intentions and prayers to Allah for blessings and rewards.
- Turn off distractions such as your phone or guitar.
- Study in a quiet place.
- If you feel stuck or frustrated, step outside for some fresh air but avoid using your phone.
- Asking questions and discussing is always better.
- Take notes or jot down thoughts during lessons, as humans are prone to forgetfulness.
- After finishing a lesson, review your notes, recall the material, and then rest.
Note: Do not intend to seek knowledge solely for money, because once you get money, your motivation to seek knowledge will disappear, and you will lose your drive. Believe me, people with great knowledge will eventually find that money follows them.